Despite shuffling deck in bullpen again, A's breaking even

April 26, 2012|Reuters

The Sports Xchange

MLB Team Report - Oakland Athletics - INSIDE PITCH

Oakland takes off on a 10-day trip with a .500 record and more changes in the bullpen.

The A's expected Joey Devine to provide late-innings relief from the right side, but Devine had his second Tommy John surgery in three years earlier in the month, and since then, the team has tried several options.

The first was Fautino De Los Santos, who is seen as the A's potential future closer because of his blazing fastball, registered in triple digits on the radar gun on occasion.

De Los Santos was optioned to Triple-A Sacramento this week, however, after failing to retire a batter in his previous three outings. Manager Bob Melvin emphasized that De Los Santos is seen as an important cog down the line, so he must get come command issues worked out in the minors.

The A's picked up right-hander Rich Thompson on waivers from the Angels, and he pitched two thirds of an inning Sunday and was waived on Wednesday, when the club brought up Jim Miller from Sacramento.

Miller earned the victory on Wednesday, the first of his big-league career, by working the final third of an inning. Miller, a non-roster invitee to Oakland's spring camp, made previous big-league appearances with Baltimore and Colorado.

Oakland has won six of its last nine games and is in second place in the AL West at 10-10.

-----------------------------------------------

MLB Team Report - Oakland Athletics - NOTES, QUOTES

--CF Yoenis Cespedes, whose two-run home run in the 14th tied the game against the White Sox on Wednesday, is 11-for-34 (.324) with 11 RBI over his last nine games. At home this season, he is batting .318 (14-for-44) compared to .174 (4-for-23) on the road.

--OF Josh Reddick snapped an 0-for-14 streak with his sixth-inning RBI double on Wednesday. He is batting .204 (10-for-49) at home compared to .310 (9-for- 29) on the road. His third-inning walk Sunday was his first of the season and snapped a career-high 19 consecutive games without a walk.

--RHP Brandon McCarthy, who will start Friday night's game at Baltimore, has lost his last four decisions dating to his final start of 2011, one shy of his career high. McCarthy has not received more than three runs of support in any of his five starts, and three times he has received no more than one run. His season run support average of 1.97 is fifth lowest in the league.

--LHP Sean Doolittle, once one of Oakland's top prospects as a first baseman, earned a quick promotion from Class-A Stockton to Double-A Midland on Wednesday. Doolittle, a pitcher and first baseman at the University of Virginia, resumed pitching last summer while rehabbing from one of several injuries that set him back the past three seasons. At Stockton, Doolittle allowed five hits, two walks and one earned run in 10 1/3 innings, while striking out 21 batters.

--OF Michael Taylor, the last remaining player Oakland has to show from the Carlos Gonzalez/Matt Holliday deal with Colorado, is batting .366 with two home runs and 17 RBI at Triple-A Sacramento. Taylor has an OPS of .966, and he also has stolen four bases. The A's have a logjam in the outfield at the big-league level, however, after re-signing Coco Crisp and acquiring four other outfielders via free agent signings or trades.

BY THE NUMBERS: 1 -- Run allowed by A's rookie right-hander Jarrod Parker in his two big-league starts, Wednesday with Oakland and last September with Arizona, covering 12 innings.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "He's got the tools. He's got all the tools. The more he gets comfortable here, the more you guys are going to see Cespedes just take off because his talent is unquestioned." -- A's catcher Kurt Suzuki, after rookie CF Yoenis Cespedes tied Wednesday's game against the White Sox with a two-run home run in the 14th inning.

-----------------------------------------------

MLB Team Report - Oakland Athletics - ROSTER REPORT

MEDICAL WATCH:

--3B Luke Hughes (flu-like symptoms) did not play April 25.

--LF Coco Crisp (flu, inner-ear infection) did not play April 18-22. He was back in the lineup April 23 then sat again on April 24-25. He might be able to return April 27.

--LHP Dallas Braden (left shoulder surgery in May 2011) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 24. He was moved to the 60-day DL on April 22. Braden was shut down from throwing for three weeks at the start of April and has not yet resumed. He had shoulder surgery last May. He is unlikely to return before late May.

--RHP Joey Devine (Tommy John surgery in April 2012) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 24. He will miss the entire season.

--LHP Brett Anderson (Tommy John surgery in July 2011) went on the 60-day disabled list March 13. He is out until at least midseason.

--3B Scott Sizemore (left knee surgery in March 2012) went on the 60-day disabled list March 3. He will miss the entire season.